Diamantina Carnival, Brazil
Fortaleza Carnival, Brazil
São Luíz do Paraitinga Carnival, Brazil
Content of this article
What is the Diamantina Carnival?
.
Diamantina is a small city, but at carnival time it celebrates in a big way. The Carnival in Diamantina takes place among narrow streets surrounded by old houses, where the party never stops. The different carnival groups play their wonderful rhythms almost 24 hours a day, the 5 days that the carnival lasts in Diamantina. The central point of the carnivals is Praça do Mercado Velho, where approximately 15,000 people gather every year. TheCarnival in Diamantina is the Praça do Mercado Velho, where the Carnival of Diamantina takes place.
The Diamantina carnivals focus on music and the so-called “blocos”, small groups that perform shows, parties and parades in the streets of the city. You can also find a large number of DJs, singers and bands that are part of the celebrations in the city.
Parades are held throughout the town, led by the comparsas who wear disguises, sing and criticize the political figures of the country and the region.
At the Diamantina carnival about 6 spaces are set up, where music groups usually participate, with samba, pagode, axé and sertanejo being the predominant rhythms. Many local and regional groups also perform.
During the openings, a largeparty is held with musicians and the streets are toured with the traditional localblocos. About 10 groups mobilize people and lead them through the city with catchy rhythms and danceable.
Diamantina’s carnivals light up with the blocos, they go around the city playing traditional music and getting people to dance
.
When is Diamantina’s Carnival?
The celebration of the carnival in Diamantina lasts 5 days. The Carnival will begin approximately from February 12 to February 16.
History of the Diamantina Carnivals
.
Carnival traditions entered Brazil thanks to Portuguese settlers between the 16th and 17th centuries, who imposed their beliefs and celebrations on the native people. Over time, the carnival acquired other forms of manifestation, such asmasked dancing and with the help of the creation of carnival societies, the festivities became popular in the poorer sectors of the country.
Beginning in the 20th century, the popularization of the festival contributed to the emergence of the samba, a musical style heavily influenced by African culture. In addition, samba school parades also began to emerge, events that eventually became official with the support of the government. During this period, Carnival assumed its position as the biggest popular festival in Brazil.
Today, Carnival in Brazil has gained much strength and is an almost religious celebration, as it has become almost an identification of the nation. The carnival has adapted to modern times, constituting itself of elements that previously did not possess, some of these as the trio elétrico, the Sambódromo and the parades that are part of many localities of the country and the world.
Where is the Diamantina Carnival
?
The Diamantina carnivals are held in the municipality Diamantina, in theState of Minas Gerais in the southern region of the country. Within the carnivals, most of the events, parties and events occur in Mercado Velho.
The blocos are the main attraction of the carnivals, they go around the city of Diamantina playing music and making people dance
.
How is Diamantina Carnival celebrated?
.
Diamantina carnival is a celebration consisting of music, parades and blocos. During the 5 days, Diamantina celebrates almost 24 hours with bandas, samba andtraditional music. The festivities begin in Mercado Velho with iconic blocos, a musical performance is held and then the bloco tours the streets until Saturday morning.
The rest of the celebration works the same way, the different blocos are organized during the week. Generally, these bloco presentations start around 8 am and the music begins to play in the streets. The celebration continues until midnight.
The festivities feature around 50 blocos, or small groups and ensembles that light up the festivities in Diamantina. Several local, regional or nationally recognized musicians are also expected. Also, some groups and blocos from the rest of the country come to the party to celebrate together.
Tips to go to the Diamantina Carnival
.
If you want to attend the Diamantina carnival parties, make sure you bring with you comfortable shoes and clothes. Also, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to combine your outfit with some funny costumes, since you will be dancing and partying all week long, from early in the morning until midnight.
Keep in mind that access to the carnivals is free and that the city has several security posts and toilet areas.
If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide: .
Events in Diamantina Carnival
.
The celebration of theCarnival of Diamantina begins a few days before. On the Wednesday and Thursday before the carnival, a few parades and bloco presentations take place in some punctual places of the city. Generally, these events begin at 9 or 10 pm and end at midnight.
Once the carnival season begins, the celebration starts in force from Friday with the participation of musical groups in the main squares of the city. After this, the parades take place with the blocos crossing the city as a form of opening. During these parades the groups go around the city livening up the festivities, playing loud music, wearing costumes and dancing. The streets of Diamantina are somewhat narrow, so people are crowded together while dancing and partying.
The city is divided into 4 blocks where it has the highest concentration of events: Praça do Mercado, MPBeco or Beco do Mota, Largo Dom João and Rua da Quitanda. Each of these sites has a different programming and every day blocos and artists perform.
The rest of the days it works in a similar way, around50 blocos parade, play music, walk around the city and dance at the different spots. The parties occur every day, starting in the morning and ending at midnight. During the festivities there are also different groups, bands and DJs that take center stage in the city, but the real kings of the Diamantina Carnival are the blocos.
There are more than 50 blocos in the city of Diamantina during carnivals to brighten up the festivities
.
Diamantina Carnival Parades
.
Small parades are held around the city with the characteristic blocos of the town. The blocos perform parades wearing dresses andplaying music and bringing joy to every corner of Diamantina. The rest of the days are just as joyful, as around 50 blocos tour the city, bringing music, dancing and parties day and night.
Parade route
.
The streets of Diamantina are filled with people during the carnivals
.
The parades circulate some streets of the town while taking music, dancing and partying. The most important points where all the carnival action happens are Mercado Velho, Largo Largo Dom João and MPBeco.
Feijão tropeiro is a typical local dish with beans and manioc flour
.
What to eat at Diamantina Carnival
.
One of the most common foods to find in the locality is the Pão de queijo, bread rolls with cheese and baked, it is typical to eat as a snack or breakfast. You can also try the Feijão tropeiro, beans with manioc flour.
Some of the most famous places in town are Apocalipse, Relicário Gastronomia and Catedral Pub.
Pão de queijo is a bun with traditional cheese from the region
.
Travel Insurance
.
From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurance. Read more information about all insurance offers here:
What to see and do inside the Diamantina Carnival
?
During the carnivals you can see the more than 50 blocos parading and partying through the city, playing traditional music, percussion and dancing in the streets. This event is the perfect combination to get anyone dancing. You can also attend the performances of artists, DJs, musical groups or samba groups that take over the different squares of the city.
You have 5 full days of music and entertainment for almost 24 hours, so you have many options to celebrate the carnivals in Diamantina..
What to see and do outside the Diamantina Carnivals
.
Diamantina offers some tourist options that you can visit during the carnivals.
Municipal Market (dos Tropeiros)
.
It is a historic building where you can get different handicrafts and some live concerts. It is the meeting point for most of the locals and you can find several establishments.
Museu do Diamante
.
It is a small museum where the history of the locality and diamond mining is documented.
Diamantina Metropolitan Cathedral
.
It is the main cathedral of the city. Formerly was the Matriz Church of St. Anthony built in the eighteenth century, then it was demolished to build it again, giving space to the present church.
Safety at the Diamantina Carnival
.
The Diamantina locality and Minas Gerais are relatively safe places. However, it is recommended that you keep an eye on your surroundings, do not carry large amounts of money on you and keep your belongings in a safe place.
In large crowds secure your belongings so as not to lose them. As reinforced security, the city has more security forces during the holidays. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your belongings safe:
Weather at Diamantina Carnival
.
The weather in Diamantina during the carnival celebrations is pleasant. The average temperature is 25 degrees.
Diamantina’s carnival events include concerts and performances
.
How to get to the Diamantina Carnival
.
How to get there by plane
.
There are no direct flights to Diamantina, to get there you have to take a local flight from Belo Horizonte Airport or São Paulo to Montes Claros Airport. From there you can head to Diamantina by other means.
How to get there by bus
.
From the airport, take a vehicle to Montes Claros station. Then take a bus to diamantina. The journey is 4 and a half hours.
How to get there by car
.
From the airport take the main roads and head to Diamantina. The drive is 3.5 hours.
Where to stay at Diamantina Carnival
.
Diamante Palace Hotel
2-star hotel 1.3 kilometers from downtown. Rooms have TV, fan and bathroom. Facilities offer wifi and bar.
Hotel Canto do Chafariz
Hotel 300 meters from the city center. The rooms have TV and private bathroom. The hotel has wifi.
Hotel Jardim do Vale
Hotel 500 meters from the city center. Rooms have TV and private bathroom. The hotel has wifi.
We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.
Thank you for reading
.
If you liked this article and found it useful share it on your social networks or collaborate by inviting us for a coffee at Paypal so we can continue creating useful content. Click here to collaborate:
